Barcelona has always been a city with strong cultural and festive traditions. Its more than 50 museums and many art galleries stage permanent and temporary exhibitions that are part of a stimulating, year-round, calendar of events. The recently extended Museu Picasso; the Fundació Joan Miró; the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya-MNAC, with its unique collection of Romanesque art; the Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona–MACBA; CaixaForum, housed in an old art-nouveau factory; or the Fundació Antoni Tàpies are must-see landmarks which trace culture throughout the ages.
Music in Barcelona is a fiesta. All the musical genres can be enjoyed in the city, from classical to contemporary music, from ethnic music to jazz. Modern concert venues −which are also landmark buildings− such as L’ Auditori, the Palau de la Música and the Gran Teatre del Liceu offer prestigious performances throughout the year. Theatre-going is another activity that enlivens the cultural life of Barcelona, which features prestigious internationally-known theatres. The opening of the Teatre Nacional de Catalunya consolidates the range of entertainment on offer in Barcelona.
Barcelona is a cultural hotspot. Every year, the city’s museums and cultural centres are a melting pot of people. Last year, Barcelona’s main museums attracted some 10,500,000 visitors, a figure which increases yearly at the same rate as hotel overnights. The Sagrada Família is the most popular cultural attraction and over two million people visited it last year. La Pedrera, also designed by Gaudí, and the new CaixaForum also proved popular with 1,500,000 visitors..
